Taxpayers pay €70 an hour for former minister to attend ‘political events’

Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti’s award of a state-funded contract to former minister Chris Cardona includes an obligation to attend “political events” as part of his duties, according to the contract obtained by The Shift.

Azzopardi Tanti, parliamentary secretary within the education ministry, appointed Cardona earlier this year as a “person of trust” on a 10-hour-a-week contract paying €70 an hour, amounting to around €36,000 a year.

An examination of the contract reveals that, in addition to advisory work, Cardona is explicitly required to attend political events and meetings.

The inclusion of such duties may breach a long-established boundary between public administration and party politics. Maltese rules governing public expenditure prohibit the use of state funds for partisan political activity.

While the contract does not specify which events Cardona is expected to attend, government sources said the former minister is expected to accompany Azzopardi Tanti to political activities in his electoral district.

Chris Cardona, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, withdrew from frontline politics following the forced resignation of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat amid corruption scandals. He has no professional background in youth policy, the area covered by the contract, and has not been required to maintain a physical presence at the education ministry.

Cardona’s formal responsibilities include advising on youth policy, liaising with politicians, drafting press releases and monitoring media coverage. However, the annexe to the contract places particular emphasis on attendance at political events – a clause critics say reveals the arrangement’s true purpose.

The contract appears to be primarily intended to support canvassing efforts on behalf of Azzopardi Tanti, who is struggling in internal party polling ahead of the next elections.

The parliamentary secretary was elected from the first electoral district, covering Valletta, Floriana and Hamrun, but recent boundary changes mean that part of Birkirkara – traditionally a stronghold of Cardona – has been added to his district.

Azzopardi Tanti is relatively unknown in Birkirkara, a locality that typically votes for the opposition Nationalist party. Cardona, by contrast, was once Labour’s most popular candidate there, and his public support could prove electorally valuable.

The Shift is informed that the ‘abuse’ is irritating other Labour candidates in the district, particularly Ramona Attard and Edward Zammit Lewis, and that the matter has been reported to Prime Minister Robert Abela.

Azzopardi Tanti has denied that the contract was awarded for political assistance, saying publicly that he engaged Cardona for his experience in research and innovation gained during his time at the economy ministry.

However, the contract itself specifies that the work relates to youth policy, an area unrelated to those claims.

The case is the latest amid growing criticism over a lack of transparency surrounding consultancy and “person of trust” contracts. Ministers and parliamentary secretaries have resisted freedom of information requests and parliamentary questions on the subject.

According to information obtained by The Shift, such arrangements have become widespread across several ministries, with many contracts considered as “phantom jobs” that deliver little measurable public value while serving political ends.